Check out the key points in Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli's career so far.

2005: Makes debut for Lumezzane in a Serie C1 league match against Padova. Youngest player to appear in Serie C at 15 years and 289 days.

2006: Signs for Inter Milan.

2007: August - Called up by Ghana coach Claude Le Roy for friendly against Senegal, but declines the offer, citing his wish to play for Italy.
December - Makes Inter debut in Serie A against Cagliari and three days later scores in first start for Inter in a 4-1 victory over Reggina in the Coppa Italia.

2008: April - Makes first Serie A start for the Nerazzurri, scoring one and setting the other up in a 2-0 win over Atalanta. Ends season with three goals in 11 appearances as Inter win league title.
September - Scores on Italy Under-21 debut in a European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Greece.
November - Becomes youngest Inter goalscorer in the Champions League, netting against Anorthosis Famagusta. Balotelli is dropped from the squad with coach Jose Mourinho citing a poor attitude.

2009: January - Mourinho drops Balotelli for the second half of January, questioning his commitment in training.
June - Called up for the European Under-21 Championship in Sweden. Scores and is sent off in 2-1 win against the hosts.

2010: March - Apologises after being pictured wearing an AC Milan shirt.
April - Throws Inter shirt to the ground after Champions League semi-final first-leg win over Barcelona. Brandished a "child" by Inter star Dejan Stankovic and dropped for a number of games.
May - Inter retain Serie A title and Balotelli is an unused substitute as Inter beat Bayern Munich to win Champions League.
August - Manchester City sign Balotelli on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
November - Scores first two Premier League goals in a 2-0 win at West Brom but is also dismissed for a tangle with Youssouf Mulumbu.
December - City boss Roberto Mancini says Balotelli must change his attitude following his claims he had never heard of Jack Wilshere after beating the Arsenal midfielder to FIFA's young player of the year award. Scores a hat-trick against Aston Villa six days later.

2011: March - It emerges he threw a dart at a City youth team player. No-one was hurt and Balotelli escapes punishment.
Balotelli apologises to team-mates after being sent off during a Europa League tie with Dynamo Kiev for a challenge described by Mancini as "stupid".
July - Substituted by an enraged Mancini after performing a pirouette and backheeling wide when clean through on goal in a pre-season friendly against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
October - Emergency services are called after a firework is set off in his home bathroom, triggering a fire. He scores in the Manchester derby and celebrates by revealing a T-shirt which reads: "Why always me?"
November - Third red card of Balotelli's City career arrives courtesy of two yellows in a league match against Liverpool.
December - Balotelli breaks a club 48-hour curfew by visiting a curry house ahead of a match against Chelsea.

2012: January - Converts a late penalty to give City a 3-2 win over Tottenham, minutes after appearing to stamp on the head of Scott Parker. Charged with violent conduct by the Football Association.
January 25 - Balotelli and City accept a four-match ban for the incident.
March - Fined a week's wages - believed to be around £120,000 - for breaking a club curfew after being pictured outside a strip club in Liverpool.
March 27 - Gatecrashes the press conference to announce the arrival of Andrea Stramaccioni as Inter's new coach.
April 9 - Shown a fourth red card for City, seeing red for two bookable challenges on Bacary Sagna in a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal. He was also guilty of a shocking knee-high challenge on Alex Song.

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